On February 4, 1944, the 12th Army of the World People's Liberation Army (WPLA) relieved the 11th Army and launched an offensive against Tobruk.

Much like the 11th Army, the 12th Army displayed the serious professionalism expected of qualified soldiers, thoroughly executing a standard frontal assault plan.

Facing the WPLA's superior firepower and numbers, the Anglo-Italian forces put up a stubborn resistance, but it was to no avail. When tanks began breaching the lines—advancing along corridors opened by Black combat engineers who disregarded their own blood and sacrifice—the Anglo-Italian forces were forced to abandon their outer perimeters and retreat into their core defensive positions.

Just as Chinese rocket artillery units arrived at their firing positions, prepared to plow every inch of the core positions with a deluge of fire, the Anglo-Italian forces accepted the 12th Army's demand for surrender.

The Italian troops had no psychological burden to speak of; officers and men surrendered their weapons with ease. As they laid down their arms and passed through the human wall of Black troops watching them, some of the more vivacious Italian soldiers even waved to the onlookers. "Hey, neighbors! We'll be in your care from now on."

The British prisoners, however, kept their heads low as they lined up to depart after handing over their regimental colors and weapons. Black political commissars immediately began distributing leaflets to the soldiers. Upon reading them, some British soldiers felt an immediate surge of relief.

The first line of the leaflet was written in English: "The World People's Liberation Army will provide humanitarian treatment to surrendering forces in accordance with the Geneva Convention."

The third sentence stated clearly: "The World People's Liberation Army will not manage prisoner-of-war camps by separating officers from soldiers. All prisoners will receive the same treatment, and no privileges shall exist."

Lieutenant General Auchinleck, commander of the British Tobruk fortress, walked at the head of the surrendering British column, accompanied by two Black majors. General Auchinleck remained silent, not uttering a word even after boarding a jeep. Some of the British officers behind him worried whether the general was being taken away to be shot; others secretly hoped he would be executed in the desert.

General Auchinleck cared little for what his subordinates thought. He sat in silence as the jeep carried him twenty kilometers into the desert. When the vehicle stopped, the general saw rows upon rows of rocket launchers being assembled, preparing to shift their firing positions.

Having seen these rocket launchers with his own eyes, Auchinleck felt significantly better. He had decided to surrender because he had witnessed the terrifying accuracy and power of Chinese rocket artillery. When the WPLA's 12th Army demanded his surrender, they had made it perfectly clear: if General Auchinleck refused, the Anglo-Italian forces within the core positions of Tobruk would be left to their own devices. Whether they could survive a saturation bombardment would depend entirely on luck.

Although Auchinleck had chosen to surrender, he had made one request: he wanted to see the rocket artillery units for himself.

Staring at the sheer number of launchers, General Auchinleck said nothing and simply walked back toward the jeep. The two Black majors were puzzled by the British general's intent, but they did not dare to ask. The pressure exerted by a British Lieutenant General was still far too great in their hearts.

Though General Auchinleck's expression remained calm, his heart felt light. He was certain he had made the wise choice; had he harbored the slightest bit of wishful thinking, he would have only dragged tens of thousands down to the grave with him.

February 14, Valentine's Day. The WPLA's 13th Army, which had relieved the 12th, engaged in a massive encounter with British armored forces in the Libyan desert.

Seeing their regular infantry operations failing one after another, the British organized their armored units for a flanking maneuver against the 13th Army. The 13th Army was a fully mechanized force, with all three of its corps being armored divisions. After aerial reconnaissance detected signs of the British flank attack, the 13th Army moved to engage them head-on.

The British deployed over a thousand tanks, and the 13th Army fielded a similar number. The British will to attack was extremely firm. Within the 13th Army, one-third of the officers and men were of Asian origin. Seeing a battle of this scale, none were willing to back down.

In the first two days, the British units equipped with domestic British tanks were beaten back severely. It was not until the British armored units equipped with Sherman tanks arrived that the 13th Army, equipped with Chinese-style Type 59 tanks, suffered some setbacks.

The American Sherman tank, which began mass production in 1942, was an excellent machine. Its design process had absorbed a vast amount of experience from the European war, showcasing America's formidable industrial strength to the fullest.

The Sherman weighed 30 tons and was armed with a 76mm gun. Its armor and firepower were quite balanced. Moreover, the United States was remarkably open at this time; because its own military industrial base was insufficient, the Sherman utilized a British-made 76mm gun. It must be said that British technology was quite remarkable in many individual fields, and the 76mm gun possessed enough power to penetrate the front armor of a Type 59 tank to a certain extent.

As the battle entered its third day, the 13th Army prepared a pincer movement, intending to deliver a heavy blow to the British forces before them.

On February 16, Li Runshi visited He Rui, bringing the government's latest statistical report. The data showed that China's economy had grown by 31% over the past year—a growth rate comparable only to the period immediately following the nation's total liberation.

He Rui's two wives took the rare step of stopping Li Runshi, inviting him into a room on the first floor. Li Runshi could sense their helplessness, even a touch of despair. This made him feel deeply saddened. Listening to the two wives trying to glean specific details about He Rui's health from him, Li Runshi found himself in a difficult position.

Ultimately, Li Runshi chose to be frank and shared some basic information with them. From their expressions, it was clear they were already aware of the situation.

Not wanting to cause trouble, Li Runshi stood up and said, "As family members, this is all I can say. At present, even the Party is at a loss regarding the Chairman's health; we can only follow the advice of the doctors and the Chairman's own wishes."

The two wives could not help themselves, and a look of sorrow appeared on their faces. However, neither was the type to complain to outsiders, so they forced a polite reply: "We have delayed Chairman Li's work. We ask for your understanding regarding our feelings as family."

Li Runshi let out a long sigh and answered, "The Chairman's physical condition is primarily due to that previous illness. Please do not blame yourselves. Such things are not within the power of humans to change."

"...Chairman Li should go up first. The Chairman has been waiting for you for a while now," Mitsuko said politely.

But as soon as Li Runshi stepped out, he heard the faint sound of low sobbing coming from behind the door before it fully closed.

Going up to the second floor, Li Runshi felt as if the place had completely changed. Previously, the Chairman's residence was a constant hive of activity. He Rui worked with a reckless abandon, often requiring six secretaries working in three shifts just to keep pace with his output. Now, the corridor was deathly silent. The secretaries no longer rushed about as they once did, moving instead with extreme caution and care.

Entering the study, Li Runshi found that He Rui's aura seemed to have vanished as well. Previously, as soon as one entered, one could feel that the man behind the desk was the center of everything, constantly pulsing the rhythm of China and the world. Now, He Rui leaned quietly in his chair, reading a book. The scene was so tranquil that for a moment, Li Runshi could not even sense He Rui's presence.

Walking up to He Rui, Li Runshi saw that He Rui's complexion had become even paler. If not for the continued depth in his gaze, He Rui would have looked as thin and frail as a figure painted on paper.

Yet when they began to discuss work, He Rui's thinking remained as sharp as ever. Even when Li Runshi tried to lighten the mood with a few sentimental remarks, He Rui simply waved them away. "Comrade Runshi, the past is the past. We must spend our time where it is most useful. If you feel such sentiment, why not write a report comparing the basic characteristics of economic development during the liberation period with those of 1943? With your prose, it would surely find many young readers in the future world of the internet."

Li Runshi simply nodded, unwilling to say more. Everything He Rui said now sounded like he was settling his final affairs, and the impact of He Rui's predictions for the future was immense.

If there truly existed a future where a Li Runshi could conduct a lecture or a briefing that hundreds of millions of viewers could see simultaneously...

Just imagining such a change left Li Runshi profoundly shocked. And He Rui's description of the future did not stop there; he spoke to Li Runshi of a future where all social action would be completely swept into the torrent of the economy.

He spoke of these things because he hoped such a future would arrive as soon as possible, and because he hoped Li Runshi would become a lighthouse in that chaotic yet orderly era—a helmsman capable of piloting the ship of China through the boundless future.

Such expectations made Li Runshi deeply sad. In his view, what He Rui had built was the foundation of this era. When that magnificent future arrived, Li Runshi hoped He Rui would be standing in the captain's bridge, not hanging on a wall.

He Rui clearly gave no thought to such things. Li Runshi's comparison stirred some emotion in him. In his youth, He Rui too had felt sentimental about the history of great men. As his age and experience grew, he came to understand the correctness and necessity of the People's View of History more deeply.

If a hero does not see himself as one of the people, he will inevitably go astray. The core of preventing such a drift lies not only in the governance of the Party but also in providing the people with a materialist methodology for understanding the world.

He Rui continued: "The rapid growth during the liberation period and the growth in '43 were both the result of institutional revolution releasing productivity. When you write this investigative report, Comrade Runshi, you must emphasize the fact that the landlords deliberately abandoned large tracts of land just to maintain their rents. I may not favor education based on hatred, but I harbor a deep loathing for the production relations of the landlord class. You can expose these matters without any psychological burden.

"In '43, we carried out revolutions in all liberated areas. Our institutions allowed the laboring people to obtain the means of production. Their expectations and efforts to earn more through their labor created a massive market for our industry.

"If we do not thoroughly smash the old production relations, the liberation of the people is impossible. This is the heart of the matter. The people must realize that the only ones who can liberate them are the people themselves, and we are but members of the people... *cough, cough*..."

Li Runshi nodded solemnly. "Please rest assured, Chairman. Only the People's View of History and people's democracy can break the Cycle of Dynasties."

He Rui nodded and then asked, "I saw the latest report on the North African campaign. Rommel has arrived in North Africa. That fellow is very clever in battle."

"How can the Chairman be so sure?" Li Runshi felt that discussing military matters might make He Rui feel a bit better. After all, military capability was the weakest of He Rui's many skills—and the most relaxed.

He Rui smiled. He hadn't expected that Rommel, having fought on the Eastern Front for so long, would ultimately be transferred to North Africa after all. Furthermore, in history, Rommel had fought while lacking logistical support. At this moment, the Allies in North Africa were still working together, so Rommel would surely perform even better.

With a hint of concern, He Rui explained: "Our armored units fell into the trap of the German 88mm guns and suffered heavy losses. That is Rommel's style. He did the same thing in the Soviet Union. Moreover, that fellow is very good at reading his opponent's mind. The emotions of the WPLA commanders are still too unstable. They always want to defeat the enemy in one stroke. In comparison, the seemingly simple tactics of the 11th and 12th Armies are actually the more technically sophisticated ones."

Li Runshi understood He Rui's point. As long as a unit could fearlessly and firmly execute a prepared tactic, the battle could generally be won. However, making a unit disregard life and death required a very high level of political skill.

Conversely, the battle where the 13th Army hit a wall showed they were acting more like the small, elite units of Europe or America. Armored assault and air-ground integration were not wrong in themselves, but once a commander's mindset shifted from 'I am doing my duty' to 'Watch me display my divine prowess,' no amount of superior equipment could guarantee victory.

But Li Runshi felt there was no need to trouble He Rui with such minor details. He stood up and said, "Chairman, I shall take my leave now. Please get some rest."

"Comrade Runshi, the coming war will be a campaign where every nation must exhaust its very foundations. The casualties will be enormous. The pressure on the Central Committee and on you will be immense!"

Hearing He Rui's concern for him, Li Runshi was deeply moved. He smiled and said, "Chairman, the people will surely prevail!"

He Rui nodded. "Go then."

As Li Runshi left the room, he made sure to turn and look back. He Rui showed no intention of standing up. Li Runshi sighed in his heart. He Rui no longer stood up; this was a very dangerous situation indeed.

If there was one way to let He Rui relax instead of pushing himself so hard, there was only one: to win this war.